Lipservice is a mostly-goth alternative clothing brand that makes highly mass-produced clothing, yet I am often impressed by their things. A while ago they had a line that I am sure was intended to be steampunk called "Steam Machine." Let us analyze - they do not understand the importance of brown for mass-appeal steampunk. They do get the importance of metal, but I think the metal is too coppery and would be prettier if it were more like brass. Thumbs up on the aviator hat, although it is not particularly attractive. The shapes for the clothes were uninteresting, but ok. Basically, this is not high-class steampunk by any stretch of the imagination, but I could tell they were trying.
What I really want to do is give them a gold star for improvement, though. Lipservice is showing signs of improvement with the Step in Time line. They still don't get the color scheme (they are missing a serious opportunity here on brown with brass, insisting on black with copper), but this time they have brown fake-leather straps, rivets shaped like gears, and lace. Somebody is learning. In fact, they even made a skirt I would wear (the cute one with the fake-garter straps and buckles on lovely newsprint fabric). I can make better things, but not everyone can, so I will give Lipservice some credit for being easy to find and relatively in-expensive.
What I really want to do is give them a gold star for improvement, though. Lipservice is showing signs of improvement with the Step in Time line. They still don't get the color scheme (they are missing a serious opportunity here on brown with brass, insisting on black with copper), but this time they have brown fake-leather straps, rivets shaped like gears, and lace. Somebody is learning. In fact, they even made a skirt I would wear (the cute one with the fake-garter straps and buckles on lovely newsprint fabric). I can make better things, but not everyone can, so I will give Lipservice some credit for being easy to find and relatively in-expensive.
Hi Antonia!
ReplyDeleteI’ve been reading your blog since you showed it to me, and I’ve really been enjoying it. I think it has a fun mix of stuff. (And you have some seriously pretty clothes that look really good on you!) In relation to this post, I’m curious – who out there do you think is selling good Steampunk clothing? And what is your concept of ideal Steampunk clothing? I’m intrigued by the concept of Steampunk, but most of the stuff I see being offered for sale around the Internet is disappointing.
I agree that the pieces in these photos don’t have enough brown, and I think that the dog collar in the last photo might be a little out of place – like it wandered in from another subculture. I also think that the models’ attitudes are a little too sexy-passive and not enough, “By George! I must explore and invent!” which is the attitude I connect with Steampunk. But I guess models think they always have to look like that.
Robin (Reinert)